Of the millennia
by Ceraki
Summary: A golden rod, a guy in a turban, and a bored Bakura was all that was needed to turn Malik's life upside down. Future thiefshipping


_A/N Hey look I'm actually going to post something on my account! Call the president because pigs must be flying!_

_Okay, so this idea originated from an extremely boring idea. I really wanted to write it though so I had to add some actual plot points in it. There __will__ be thiefshipping by the way, but it may take a while for them to realize it themselves. There will probably be other pairings too, both straight and gay, mostly implied. _

_Also, I have not watched past the third season, so I'm sorry if there's any inconsistency with the canon plot. But since this will be au it will probably not affect the story that much. And uh, I'm not from an English speaking country, so there may be some awkwardness in the language._

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or its characters. And be glad I don't because if I did everything about it would probably suck.**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 – Beginning of the End<strong>

Isis and Mariku were fighting again. This time Mariku had apparently got caught driving drunk, again. And Isis had been forced to pay the bail, again.

Malik (Who was unfortunate enough to have an almost identical name as his older brother) groaned and looked at his cell phone. 05:38, perfect. He didn't need to go up for school yet, so he got up and started stretching. In difference to most teenagers, Malik actually had no problem in getting up early; in fact, he actually rather enjoyed the time it saved him.

Mariku and Isis were still fighting when he was finished with his morning routine. He decided to go out to the living room to help keep score of the battle.

"For once I wish you would think of anyone but yourself!" Isis looked really pissed, while Mariku just looked amused.

"Oh yeah? And with 'anyone' you mean you? Now look who's the selfish one."

"No! I'm talking about the pedestrians that you could have run over! Not to mention other drivers, you could have caused a serious accident!"

Mariku answered with a yawn.

"Yeah, but I didn't," he then seemed to notice his brother entering the room. "Hey Mal, up early again?"

"Kind of hard not to with your bickering."

"Yeah I know what you mean; I have been trying to sleep ever since sis started scolding me."

"You know what? Just forget it!" Isis said, and then stormed out.

"Ah, siblings love at its finest. Now, Malik my not-quite-as-handsome brother, do you need to use the shower immediately? Because I should get ready for work."

"Nah, school begins at eight. But are you sure you can go to work? You seem kind of… tired. Not to mention drunk."

"You're beginning to sound like your sister, that's not a good sign... I'll sleep when I'm there," with that, Mariku went into the bathroom and left Malik alone.

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><p>Malik decided to kill some time by doing last-minute homework. It was only some basics that most of his classmates already knew, but it made him feel a tinge of accomplishment. After a while of mind-killing algebra he got ready for school and headed over to the next door apartment. The Bakuras's apartment. School would begin soon, but he still couldn't be sure that the white-haired brothers were up. At least not Bakura.<p>

To his surprise however, both of them were sitting in their kitchen, eating something that Malik couldn't identify (and he wasn't sure he wanted to either).

"Did you let Bakura cook again?" Malik asked and wrinkled his nose.

"He seemed so enthusiastic…" Ryou had barely touched his food, and smiled in a very forced manner.

Bakura didn't seem to care, and just continued to eat his food as if it wasn't something that looked and smelled like something you'd find in a garbage disposer.

"So, you never guess what Mariku did last night. Or well, this morning."

This actually caught Bakura's attention.

"I can guess that it was probably something badass. Last I heard, he was going to some extreme orgy-party. I really wished I could go, but no of course _someone_ had to call our parents and tattle," Bakura shot a murdering glare at his younger brother.

"An orgy? No way! Why didn't he invite me?" Malik felt somewhat disappointed, despite being brothers, Mariku was like a best friend.

"Yes, I wonder why he didn't invite his baby brother to an orgy. It's not like it would be _fucking weird_ if he did."

"Uh, right," Malik was so used to always tagging along Mariku and Bakura that he hadn't considered that perspective. "Well anyway, he got caught by the cops while driving home drunk. So maybe it was for the better that you weren't with him, Kura."

"Hah, nice! How did Isis react to that?"

"She was pissed; you should have seen her face! It was all red and shit!"

"Well I can understand her," Ryou intervened. "Poor Isis always has to help Mariku get out of the messes he makes for himself."

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Maybe you and Mariku should switch families. But yeah, so lame to get caught. I bet if I were there the police would've never caught us."

"You mean like that time you helped Mariku not getting caught stealing an Xbox, and then did not have to serve community service for the rest of the year?"

"Well we returned later and stole it successfully, didn't we?"

"Uhm, maybe we should get to school?" Ryou asked, clearly not wanting to talk about Bakura's and Mariku's criminal record.

Despite the fact that Ryou didn't really fit in with the other three, he was still part of the gang of sorts. While Mariku and Bakura were as tight as friends could be, Malik supposed that he had a similar bond with Ryou. However their friendship didn't truly shine through when Malik was around Bakura and Mariku, whom he secretly looked up to.

But lately Ryou had started hanging out more and more with other classmates, and Malik couldn't help but feeling jealous. It didn't help that on their way to school Ryou decided to take a detour to "meet up with Yuugi and Anzu".

"Do you want to come?" the treacherous pseudo-albino asked with a smile.

"No," Malik replied – he really didn't want to deal with those fluffy rainbow-crapping friendship-dorks.

"Why not?"

"Err…" damn, Malik forgot to come up with a decent excuse. Thankfully, Bakura seemed just as disinterested in meeting up with _those guys_ as Malik.

"You'll probably be late, we can't get detention today, remember that Akefia is coming over later?"

"I don't think it would take much more time…"

"Well then, go on."

And so he went, after throwing some uncertain looks at his brother and best friend.

Malik sighed in relief.

"You really don't want to see them, do you?" Bakura asked after a brief time of silence.

"I'm not jealous!"

"Of course not, that's why you're defending yourself from something I didn't even imply."

"Shut up!"

"Whatever, want to skip school and head to the museum to see Mariku?"

That was the danger of not having Ryou there. With Ryou, Malik seemed to have at least some sense, and he would realize that Isis would kill him if he went through with it. But without Ryou, Malik never argued Bakura's ideas.

"Sure."

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><p>The museum was pretty high-class, so it was a wonder that Mariku had managed to get a job there. Isis – who worked in a similar museum in another part of town - had to pull all kinds of strings. Because of it, Malik had obtained a back-door key. The back-door led to an employee's room that was always filled with all kinds of art-snobs. Malik and Bakura quickly exited the door and made way to Mariku's office (Why did Mariku have an office anyway?). Not surprisingly, what they found was a mildly snoring Mariku lying on the all-too-hard-looking floor.<p>

"Hey you flea-bag, wake up! You have company!" Bakura yelled as he started to shake Mariku with his foot.

"Fuck you, go back to school instead," Mariku mumbled as he rolled away from Bakura's torment.

"School's ended, it's five o'clock," Malik lied.

That put energy in the older blonde. He stood up hastily and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"Already? Oh well, let's go home."

"Nah just kidding, it's only like… 8:30"

"You know what? Fuck you two. I need my sleep, if you want to go bother someone, bother one of those middle-school classes. Or check out the new exhibition."

"Bleh, what's the fun in that when we have a full-grown baby to poke?" Bakura teased.

Malik could sense a fight coming up.

"Uh… what new exhibition?" he asked, trying to save the situation.

"Those millennium item things. Ancient Egyptian artifacts, all gold with eyes and crap."

"Well Bakura, let's check it out then, sounds interesting… I guess."

Bakura grumbled, but didn't disagree. A sleeping Mariku was a boring Mariku anyway.

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><p>The exhibition took place in the cellar, and it was ominously empty. There were only seven actual items, but the place had been filled with other Egyptian-related things. (To fill the room out, Malik guessed)<p>

"Hey Malik, look at this!"

Malik, who had been entertaining himself by having a staring contest with one of the millennium items, looked over at Bakura, who was reading a text next to the millennium necklace and rod.

"It says something about an Ishtar family that guarded these two items while waiting for the return of the pharaoh..."

"With my crazy family history, I wouldn't be surprised if they were referring to us."

"So you know," a strange voice said behind them.

The two teens immediately turned around. The man standing behind them was dressed in a plain robe and a turban. Weird.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Bakura asked, not looking too interested.

"My name is Shadi."

"I don't care."

"I'm not speaking to you," Shadi turned to face Malik. "These items hold great power to those that can wield them. As the heir to the Ishtar family, the tomb keeper's duty is yours, and the millennium rod rightfully belongs to you."

Malik just raised his eyebrows. "Look pal, even if it was my family that this was about – which it isn't – I wouldn't be the heir. It would be Odion or Mariku, my older brothers."

"Odion is not your biological brother, and as for Mariku… he cannot be allowed to gain the powers of these items. He's evil."

At this, Bakura burst out laughing. "Turban guy got a point."

"Hey don't diss my brother! You don't know him, and he hasn't done anything to you… Or well, he probably has but believe me when I say he has done much worse things to others! Oh, and by the way... how do you know Odion is adopted?"

Shadi shook his head. "There is much to be explained, and this world holds little answers. I urge you to touch the millennium rod, to feel what power it possesses."

Bakura, who now stopped laughing, just shake his head while grinning. "You're a nutcase, come on Malik, let's go."

But Malik could feel something. He wasn't sure why, but something inside of him believed this crazy man. He started to reach out with his hand towards the rod, maybe it wasn't so crazy after all.

"Malik, come on. I know you want to be badass and all, but stealing a priceless ancient artifact? That could get you in serious trouble. At least we should wait until it isn't broad daylight if you want that toy so bad."

But Bakura's warning suddenly seemed distant and abstract. The closer Malik came to touching the rod, the more the world around him disappeared. He was almost awakened out of the trance when Bakura's pale hand grabbed his wrist, but it was too late. Malik engulfed the rod with his hand, and suddenly he was shot with a piercing headache.

A few seconds passed, and soon all became dark.

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><p><em>Thanks for sticking by for the first chapter! Next chapter will be up sometime when my huge pile of homework decreases.<em>

_Also, you may have noticed that he's called Odion and not Rishid while otherwise using japanese names, but that's mainly because... well, Odion is an awesome name. Rishid? Not so much. Sorry if that confused anyone. (but it really shouldn't)_


End file.
